Camera



March 3, 1942. G. KENDE ETAL 2,274,707

CAMERA 7 Filed May 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTORS GEORGE Kf/VDE PHIL IP .77 52001015600181 March 3, 1942. G. KENDE EIAL 2,274,707

CAMERA Filed May 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D O v I N INVENTORS Q m 60R6 77 ATFORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1942 V CAMERA George Kende, New York, N. Y., and Philip J.

Brownscombe, East Orange, N. J., assignors to Universal Camera Corporation,

New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 9, 1940, SerlalNo. 334,204

5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cameras. More particularly, our invention relates to an improved and novel construction for camera shutters of the focal plane type and means for operating the same.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide an improved camera shutter construction comprising an adjustable slot in which novel means are provided for selectively adjusting the size of the slot or shutter opening and which at the same time is so arranged that the width of the slot for any given shutter speed is immovably fixed during the operation of theshutter.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved camera shutter construction comprising a pair of plates in whichnovel means is employed for mounting the plates so that they may be relatively rotated to selectively provide shutter openings of predetermined sizes.

A further object of our invention is to provide fix an improved camera shutter construction characterized by the speed and facility of its assembly and by its compactness whereby the same may occupy a minimum of space in the camera, and

which at the same time shall operate with a high degree of eiiiciency.

Other objects of, this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

Certain features shown and described but not claimed in this application are shown, described and claimed in the co-pending applications, Serial No. 177,884, filed December 3, 1937, for Camera shutter and means for actuating the same, now Patent No. 2.226245 of December 24, 1924, and Serial No. 245,424, filed December v13, 1938, for Cameras, now Patent No. 2,233,390 of Feb. 25, 1941, both applications being owned by the assignee of the present application.

The invention accordingly consists in the feat'lres of construction, combination of elements, aid arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described,

and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings. in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 44.of Fig. 2; and a Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is disclosed a camera 20 of the type fully disclosed and described in our co-pending application, Serial No. 245,424, filed December 13, 1938, for Cameras, and comprising a hollow casing 2| within'which there is suitably mounted a rigid mounting member 22 (see Fig. 2). Attached to the mounting member 22.by the screws 23 is a frame 26 substantially U-shaped in cross-sectional contour and comprising a pair of parallel legs 26a and an interconnecting longitudinal portion 26b. A part of the portion 26b is longitudinally recessed to form a film track 21 designed to accommodate a film. A light aperture 25 is provided in the said recessed frame portion 28b of the film track 21.

Mounted in the casing wall 2| is a shaft 30, having one end thereof journaled in a specially designed part of the mounting member 22, while the other end thereof is journaled in a plate 3| fixed to the member 22 by the screws 32 and disposed adjacent the front wall of the casing 2|; A winding knob 35 fixed to an extension of the shaft 30 for rotation therewithand disposed exteriorly of the casing 2| serves to facilitate the rotational movement of the said shaft 30. Fixedly mounted on that portion of the shaft 30 disposed within the camera casing 2| is a combination gear 33 having bevel gear teeth 33a designed to mesh with a bevel gear 24 fixed to a shaft 28 for the purpose of metering out the filmfrom a take-oil. spool in the manner fully disclosed and described'in. our said co-pending application, Serial No. 245,424. The said gear 33 is also adapted to cooperate with a spring actuated shutter mechanism, soon to be described in greater detail, for winding the spring by means of the knob 35.

. In accordance with our invention and as shown in the said co-pending applications, we have provided a focal plane type of shutter adapted to xpose the film adjacent the light aperture 25 pressed-out groove He in the blade 4|.

ings 44 and 46 are provided with apertures 41 and 48 respectively, which are designed to b in axial alignment when the said ears 46a and 4| a are positioned in overlapping relationship, as shown in Fig. 3, said shutter blades 46 and 4| being adapted to form a substantially circular shutter member with the aligned axis of the apertures 41 and 48 serving as the axis of rotation of the shutter. The shutter blades 46 and 4| are supported for rotational movement in the following manner: A shaft 56 is provided, having reduced end portions 56a and 56b. The said shaft portion 56a is journaled in the wall 26b of the member 26 and the opposite shaft end 56b is journaled in the plate 3|. Thesaid shaft 56 is further provided with a reduced portion 560 larger than and adjacent the portion 56a, which is received in the aperture 46 of the bushing 46. A pin 5| passing through the bushing 46 and frictionaily engaging the shaft portion 560 attaches the bushing 46 to the said shaft portion 5C for rotation therewith, so that the shutter blade 4| will rotate whenever the shaft 56 is rotated. The bushing 44 is fixedly mounted on a reduced portion 53a of a sleeve 53 by means of the key 54 in the keyway 55, the said sleeve 53 being freely rotatable on the shaft 56. The shutter blade 46 is attached to a flange 44a of the bushing 44 for rotation therewith by means of a rivet or bolt member 56.

It is thus seen from the above described construction that the shutter blades 46 and 4| may be rotated relatively to each other because ofthe fact that the shutter blade 46 is rotatable with the sleeve 53 and the blade 4| is rotatable with the shaft 56, and the said sleeve 53 and shaft 56 are relatively rotatable.

It is noted that the blade 46 is slightly larger in diameter than the blade 4| and is provided with a turned-over peripheral edge 51. The blade 4| is also provided with a similar peripheral edge 56, turned in the opposite direction, the said .edges 51 and 58 being adiacently disposed as shown in Fig. 2. This serves to reinforce the edges of the blades 46 and 4| and to maintain such blades slightly spaced from each other so that they may be relatively rotated with a mini mum of frictional interference. To further reinforce the blades 46 and 4|, there is provided a pressed-out groove 40a in the blade 46 and a The groove He is in alignment with the groove 46s so the ridge of the groove 46c will ride freely in the recess of the groove 4 is.

As shown in Fig. 3, one of the shutter blades, such as for example the blade 4| is provided with a projection 59 adapted to serve as an abutment for the peripheral edges 51 and 56 to limit the relative rotational movement of the blades 46 and 4| in two directions.

In accordance with our invention, we have provided the following novel construction for adjustably setting the speed or opening of the shutter from a relatively slight opening to a wide opening, the range of adjustability being substantially froma fraction of a degree to 180 degrees. In Fig. 3 the shutter opening 0 is shown as set at substantially 90 degrees. To effect this adjustment there is provided a reduced portion 56d of the shaft 56, adjacent to and larger than the end 561) which is roughened or knurled and on on the said bushing 66, for rotation therewith, is

held in fixed position by a rivet'45. The bush a flat gear member 6| provided with a plurality of transverse apertures 62 circumferentially spaced from each other a predetermined distance, as shown in Fig. 4, the purpose of which will become apparent as the description proceeds. It is seen that when the gear 6| is rotated, the shaft 56 willv also rotate to cause rotation of only the shutter blade 4|, while the shutter part 46 remains stationary.

In this way the effective space between the adjacent straight radially disposed edges 46g and Hg of the blades 46 and 4|, defining a shutter opening 0, may be varied to provide any selected speed. To facilitate the rotational movement of the shaft 56 for the purpose of varying the shutter opening 0, there is provided a shaft 63 journaled at one end in a specially designed part of the mounting member 22 and having a portion 63a of enlarged diameter journaled in the plate 3|. On a portion 63b of the shaft 63 projecting outside of the camera casing, there is fixedly attached a knob 65. Fixed to a knurled portion 63c of the shaft 63 for rotation therewith is a gear 66 in mesh with the gear 6|. Therefore, in order to adjust the shutter opening 0, it is merely necessary to rotate the knob 65, which will result in the rotation of the shaft 56 to simultaneously rotate the shutter blade 4| while the blade 46 remains stationary.

As shown in Fig. 1, and as described in our said co-pending application, Serial No. 245,424, the knob 65 is provided with a flared skirt portion 65a on which there may be provided indicia properly placed in accordance with the shutter speeds, such as for example, 30, 40, 60, etc. These indicia markings are arranged to cooperate with a fixed mark X on the front camera casing wall to define the amount and direction of turning of the knob 66 in accordance with the shutter speed desired. I

To lock the shutter blades 46 and 4| in the adjustably selected position so that they will then rotate as a unit to effect an exposure, the following construction is provided: Mounted on the sleeve 53 for rotation therewith is a rigid disc 68 having an offset flange portion 68a (see Figs. 2 and 5) Overlying the inner surface of the flange 66a and attached thereto for rotation therewith is an annular disc member 63 slightly larger in diameterthan the said flange portion 66a. The disc 63 is fixed to the flange 66 by any suitable attaching means such as, for example, the pair of rivets '16. It is noted, however, that the rivets 76 are spaced relatively close to each other leaving the major portion of the disc 63 unattached and free to move in a direction away from the flange 66m Fixedly mounted on the disc 69 is a pin 1| disposed adjacent the periphcry of the said disc 63 and projecting inwardly toward the flange 66a and adapted to normally be received in and pass freely through a peripheral notch 12 in the flange 68 (see Fig. 5). The diameter of the pin H is slightly less than the diameter of the apertures 62 in the gear 6| so as to be normally freelyreceived in any selected aperture 62. The apertures 62 are arranged to correspond with the indicia markings on the skirt of the knob 65, there being preferably one aperture 62 for each shutter speed adjustment. It is thus seen from the above described construction that when it is desired to set the shutter opening 0 to any desired shutter speed, such as for example, 1/40, it is necessary to rotate the dial 65 until the 40 marking on the skirt portion thereof is aligned with the fixed mark X on the camera casing, as shown in Fig. 1. This will cause the which will cause the said sleeve to rotate with the'shaft II to thus cause the shutter blades Ill and 4| to rotate as a unit to effect an exposure when the opening passes over the film aperture 26.

The disc 69 is so positioned and is of such rigidity that it will normally assume a position in which the pin II will be disposed within any aperture 62 with which it is aligned. It is therefore seen that when the shutter has once been set and it is desired to change the shutter speed, it will be necessary to exert a sufficient force on the disc 68 in a direction away from the flange 68a to withdraw the pin H from its aperture 62, otherwise the gear 6| could not be rotated relatively to the pin H to position the said pin 1! in a different aperture 62. Due to the mounting of the disc 69 and to the resilient nature of the material thereof, it will always tend to be restored to its original position as shown in lull lines in Fig. 2.

To facilitate the withdrawal of the pin H from its aperture 62, there is provided a pulley member 13 having a V-shaped groove 14 in the rim thereof designed to receive therein a portion ad- Jacent the periphery of the disc 69. The pulley i3 is mounted on the shaft portion 63c for rotation therewith. 'The shaft 63 is so journaled in the members 22 and H as to be axially slidable. It is therefore seen that when the knob 65 is pushed inwardly to move the pulley from its full line position'll to the dotted line position 13,

relatively to the disc 66 and sleeve 5: through the gear 66 to adjust the shutter speed. The resilience of the disc 69 will restore the knob 66 and shaft 63 to its original extended position to cause the pin H to again b received in an aligned aperture 62.

To cause automatic rotation of the shutter shaft 60 after the shutter blades 40 and ll have i. In a camera, a shutter device comprising a shaft joumaled in said camera, a sleeve mounted on said shaft and relatively rotatable thereto, a first shutter blade, a second shutter blade, means for attaching said first blad 'to said shaft for rotation therewith, means for attaching said second blade to said sleeve for rotation therewith, means for causing the simultaneous rotation'of said blades as a unit, said last named means comprising a gear fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, -a member fixed to said sleeve for rotation therewith and adapted to normally a member on said second shaft adapted to render been adjustably locked to each other to rotate the shutter as a unit, a spring 66 is employed which is wound around a hollow drum 6| mounted on the sleeve 63 and is constructed and arranged as fully disclosed and described in our said co-pending application Serial No. 245,424. Also as fully disclosed in our 'said last named copending application, a gear 63 fixed to the drum 6| for rotation therewithmeshes with the gear 33 for winding the spring whenever the film is advanced to its next picture-taking position.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in whichthe several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

ineffective the interlocking relationship between the first shaft gear and said sleeve upon axial sliding movement of said second shaft.

2. In a camera, a shutter device comprising a shaftjournaled in said camera, a sleeve mounted on said shaft and relatively rotatable thereto, a first shutter blade, a second shutter blade, means for attaching said first blade to said shaft for rotation therewith, means for attaching said second blade to said sleeve for rotation therewith, means for causing said blades to rotate as a unit, said last named meanscomprising a gear attached to said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of openings in said gear other than the spacing between said gear teeth, said openings being circumferentially spaced from each other at predetermined intervals, said predetermined intervals corresponding to the fixed camera shutter speeds, and a member attached to said sleeve for rotation therewith, said member being disposed adjacent to said gear and provided with a projecting pin adapted to be received in any selected gear opening to interlock said shaft and sleeve for simultaneous rotation.

3. ma camera, a shutter device comprising a shaft journaled in said camera, a sleeve mounted on said shaft and relatively rotatable thereto, a first shutter blade, a second shutter blade, means for attaching said first blade to said shaft for rotation therewith, means for attaching said second blade to said sleeve for rotation therewith, means for causing said blades to rotate as a unit, said last named means comprising a gear attached to said shaft for rotation therewith, .a plurality of openings in said gear circumferentially spaced from each other at predetermined intervals, said predetermined intervals corresponding to the fixed camera shutter speeds, a pin resiliently supported on said sleeve and normally urged towards said gear, said pin beingcomprising a manually axially slidable shaft journaled in said camera, a gear mounted on said slidable shaft for rotation therewith and permanently meshing with said first shaft gear,

and a member fixed to said slidable shaft for movement therewith, said last named member being adapted to resiliently move said pin away from said gear upon sliding movement of said slidable shaft.

4. In a camera, a shutter device comprising a pair of rotatable blades, rotatable means extending from said camera, the axis of rotation of said rotatable means being spaced from the axis of rotation of said blades, means to permit relative rotation between said blades to selectively adjust the size of the shutter opening formed between the blades, said last named means comprising a gear train permanently connecting one of said blades and said rotatable means and means to hold the other of said blades stationary while said rotatable means is manipulated to vary the angular position of said first blade, said rotatable means being also slidable along its axis of rotation, means to normally interlocl; said blades for simultaneous rotation, and means associated with said rotatable means and actuable upon axial shifting thereof to render ineffective said interlocking means.

5. In a camera, a shutter device comprising a pair of rotatable blades, means to rotatably and means and means to hold the other of said blades non-translatably support said blades, rotatable means extending from said camera, means to permit relative'rotation between said blades to selectively adjust the size of the shutter opening formed between the blades, said last named means comprising a gear train permanently connecting one of said blades and said rotatable stationary while said rotatable means is manipulated to vary the angular position of said first blade, said rotatable means being also slidable along its axis of rotation, means to normally interlock said blades for simultaneous rotation, said interlocking means comprising a member rotatable with one of said blades and a member rotatable with the other of said blades, one of said members being spaced away from said blades and being movable translatably relative thereto, and means associated with said rotatable means and actuable upon axial shifting thereof to render ineffective said interlocking means by shifting of said transiatably movable member.

GEORGE KENDE.

PHILIP J. BROWNSCOMBE. 

